2018 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard

The Pisoni family has long been synonymous with the Santa Lucia Highlands, and its wines and their farming roots here go back to 1952, when Gary Pisoni’s parents established their vegetable farm in Gonzalez. Gary took the initiative to plant vines in 1982, and the rest is well-known history to Pinot Noir fans. His sons are now fully in charge, with Mark watching over the family’s meticulously maintained vineyards and extensive vegetable plantings and Jeff making the wines at their facility up in Santa Rosa. The Lucia wines have long been ensconced in the upper quality tier of this region’s Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, and the 2018s extend that streak. There’s some new oak showing right now, unsurprisingly, but the wines’ intense fruit shines through clearly. While they display somewhat more restrained personalities than their 2017 siblings, these are definitely full-flavored, concentrated wines that beg for patience.